The Reckoning (Zodiac Academy, #3)

by Caroline Peckham

Since I’d left Blue with Darius, the lasting imprint of her ashen cheeks and wide eyes were burned into my retinas. She’d fought at my side tonight with the fierceness of a warrior. And she’d saved my fucking life. Now, I was adrift without her, my heart trying to tear its way out of my chest in a bid to go to her.

Does this change things? No. It couldn’t. I couldn’t let it. I’d sworn to keep away from her, but after tonight, after how close we’d both come to death, a small voice had awoken in my head that whispered, fuck it, we could be dead tomorrow.

“I'll wait here. Top up while you're out so I can look at your memories.” She flopped down onto my bed, looking exhausted and I was hit with a knee-jerk reaction. “No,” I blurted, and she stared up at me like I'd grown an extra head.

On instinct, I hunted for Darius, but I found Blue first.

I had to figure out what that fire was that they'd cast. It was driving me mad. I'd fought alongside Darcy and seen the full extent of her power. And I was worried as all hell about what it meant. With magic like that, she and her sister were an official threat to the Heirs. To Darius. And no matter what strange connection I had with Blue, it could not stand in the way of me ensuring Darius sat on the Celestial Council and unseated his father in the process.

Diego Polaris shifted beside her, dropping his arm around her shoulders. My jaw locked and white-hot energy built in my chest. I had the completely irrational urge to go over there and drag him out of The Orb by the throat. Be sensible, Lance. It was a one-time thing. She’s not yours to be jealous over. Leave it alone.

Darcy's eyes locked with mine and my lungs compressed. Why was it so fucking difficult to cut her out of me? One look was enough to make me consider risking everything I’d ever worked for. So stop looking, asshole.

Caleb: That’s so cold, Tory. I know you felt things too...the noises you were making in response to them are kinda hard to deny ;)

Caleb: Do you want me to beg? Do you like the idea of getting me on my knees for you?

“Why does he have to be such an asshole?” I complained. “If he wasn’t, you probably wouldn’t like him at all,” she reasoned, and I couldn’t help but laugh at that. “That is a tragically accurate assessment,” I agreed.

The thought of seeing Orion again in the cold light of day was making me feel all kinds of messed up emotions. None of which I wanted to concentrate on. Because if I boarded the over-analytical train to insanity town, I'd be stuck on it all day.

Orion strode into the room and slammed the door so hard I nearly dropped the leaf as my gut knotted and I was suddenly too hot everywhere. He half glanced my way then looked firmly ahead, marching up to the front of the room.

“Miss Cygnus, name the seven Cardinal Magics that all Fae are capable of before Miss Vega turns blue,”

“Healing, Coercion, Levitation, Summoning, Illusion, Divination and Atmospheric Manipulation.”

“We have a serious fucking problem. Corbin, tell me what it is.”

“Miss Vega?”

“That our Cardinal Magic teacher is a psycho?” I offered, rage still simmering in me from him attacking my sister.

His jaw ticked in a deadly way and my heart thumped out of rhythm. “I prefer the term unbalanced and frankly it's the least of your problems.” His mouth ...

“Precisely. And some of you...”

His hand landed on Tory's shoulder as he leaned in close to her ear. “Actually enjoy it, don't you?” Tory blushed which was saying a lot for my sister. “That's not really your business, is it Professor?” “Isn't it? I beg to differ.”

Nearly everyone’s hands dropped except Tory’s, and I threw her a grin. “Oh yeah! Tory Vega totally throat-punched Max Rigel,” Tyler said excitedly. “Did she now?” Orion asked with a hint of a smile.

“And I suppose you've attempted that with Caleb Altair too, have you?” Orion deadpanned and the smile fell from her face. “I thought not.”

“You will attend the trials of whatever Elements you hold.” He looked to me and Tory with a terse expression. “That means you will attend every trial of every Element you hold.”

A little thrill danced through me as I stood. He couldn't shove his hand down my skirt. He was a teacher. A fact he had reminded me about quite clearly at Lionel Acrux’s house.

“Are we really going to play this game?” He leaned into my face and my throat closed up as the all-too-familiar cinnamon scent of him washed over me, reminding me viscerally of the kiss we'd shared. Danger tingled my senses as I read the double meaning to his words. A smile caught the corner of my mouth and I nodded.

Caleb was saying something to the others with a smile playing around his lips. Max and Seth seemed mildly interested but Darius looked pretty damn pissed. As his heated gaze met with mine, my heart leapt a little at the anger I found there.

In the moment, we’d been weirdly united. I’d saved his life and he’d saved mine. I’d even cried while he lay dying in my arms.

I only had to remember the way he’d tossed me into that pit to know all I needed to about him and who he was. And he was my enemy. The look he was giving me right now said he felt exactly the same.

“Sorry, I’ve been running on empty since the fight with the Nymphs and I don’t wanna bite anyone else.”

“But shit, Tory you don’t understand how freaking much I like playing this game with you. Ever since we got back from that party, I’ve hardly been able to think about anything else. The feeling of you in my arms, the taste of your blood on my lips, the rush I get when you run from me...”

“I have a bit of a weakness for assholes,” I admitted slowly. “But I’m used to them lying about what they are. At least you own it.” “I do,” Caleb said with a smirk, his hand travelling up my neck ever so slowly. “I’m an honest to the stars asshole. Do you want to keep playing with me, Tory?”

“Yeah,” I sighed, though the memory of him kissing me took the sting out of the bite. Maybe Orion had a point about me starting to like it. I’d have to consider going for the throat punch next time.

“Roxy managed a lot better than that in our session together, Professor,” Darius called before Pyro reached us and I glanced over at him in surprise.

My gaze skimmed over Darius as I tried to gauge his mood. He was in the process of coating his fists and arms in gloves made of fire and I couldn’t help but stare at the impressive display of magic. “Perhaps you’d like to assist her again for this class then?” Pyro suggested.

“Of course, Professor,” he said, offering her a wide smile like he couldn’t think of anything better. “And perhaps Mr Altair would help Darcy?” Pyro added, waving Caleb closer too. He was looking my way, but I ignored him, walking to meet Darius instead.

“Let’s see if your theory about that outfit has any merit to it then,” Darius said as I closed in on him. His gaze swept over my skin tight shirt and trousers and I resisted the urge to fold my arms over my chest. Something about the clingy material made me feel more exposed than I would have in something more revealing.

“That’s where you’re going wrong, Roxy. You keep asking her to let you wear something else, but Fae don’t ask permission to do what we want. Especially when we’re more powerful than the person saying no.”

Before I could reply, he snatched my hand and his power slammed into my body like a tidal wave. I gasped as my own magic fought back instinctively, shoving him out so that his power could only dance around the edges of mine. Darius grunted irritably. “You let me in last time,” he reminded me in a low voice. “Why did you trust me then and not now?”

The pressure of Darius’s power increased against mine and he tugged me a step closer to him. “Let me in, Roxy,” he breathed and for a moment it seemed like he was talking about more than our magic.

Why did we have to hold hands for this? My palm was tingling, and it had nothing to do with magic and everything to do with the insanely attractive asshole in front of me. He shifted his thumb over the back of my hand, making heat dance beneath my skin and I was sure it was intentional.

His magic tumbled into mine with a shudder of ecstatic energy which filled me from the soles of my feet right through to my core. My back arched involuntarily, and I shifted a little closer to him despite myself. Darius caught my other hand too, his gaze holding me captive as I adjusted to the feeling of his magic in me.

“Push back,” he commanded, his voice rough. I was about to ask what he meant but his magic was so entangled with mine that I could feel what he wanted. Our power slid out of me like the pull of the tide and passed back into him through the point where our hands connected.

There wasn’t a moment of resistance when my magic tumbled into him but as I held his eye, I watched his pupils dilate with the rush of taking in my power. I bit my lip as his grip on my hands tightened and he tugged me clo...

“Stop power fucking her and start working on w...

“Are you afraid I’m going to steal her attention from you, Cal?” Darius asked Caleb with the hint of a smile playing around his lips. “Not likely,” Caleb replied dismissively but his eyes narrowed.

“And neither of you are interesting enough to keep my attention for long so there’s no point in you getting your panties in a twist over it. Maybe we should just get on with this class?”

She shot me a look which basically said she’d rather be pretty much anywhere else than holding Caleb’s hand and I glanced at Darius before raising an eyebrow at her as if to say ‘who’s got it worse?’ Darcy snorted a laugh and the two Heirs looked between us like they were trying to figure out what we’d just communicated to each other.

I pulled on my hand, forcing him to stop walking when it seemed like he was going to drag me all the way across the arena to the shadows on the far side of it. I had no intention of being alone with him and this spot right in the centre of the arena had plenty of space for us to work in. Darius smirked at me as he gave in and came to a stop. It was either that or release my hand which he didn’t seem to have any intention of doing.

“How about, if you manage to make one with your fire magic, I’ll let you back up your talk with a race?” he suggested.

“If I win, I get to keep the bike,” I said. “You won’t win,” he replied dismissively. “Then you won’t be afraid to agree to my terms.”